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Femi Falana questions the NBA’s choice of speakers for its annual conference.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association over its decision to invite social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to speak at its annual conference.
Falana expressed his concerns during a televised interview on Thursday, while discussing the controversy surrounding VeryDarkMan’s appearance at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt. The activist spoke on the issue of insecurity during the event.
According to Falana, the NBA should select speakers based on their knowledge, expertise and practical experience in the subjects they will discuss. He argued that specialised topics require people who understand those issues and can provide informed perspectives.
Falana maintained that the association should ensure that its conferences promote meaningful intellectual engagement among legal professionals.
He further argued that when organisers invite speakers to discuss sensitive issues such as national security, they should consider the person’s professional background and experience in that field.
The senior lawyer also stressed that the choice of speakers should reflect the subject under discussion. In his view, the NBA should maintain the intellectual standards expected of a professional body, particularly during its major annual gathering.
Meanwhile, VeryDarkMan’s appearance at the conference generated public discussion, particularly because of his background as a social media activist and his decision to speak on insecurity before an audience of legal professionals.
The controversy has consequently sparked broader conversations about the type of voices professional organisations should invite to major conferences and whether social media personalities can contribute meaningfully to discussions on specialised national issues.
However, Falana’s criticism focuses primarily on the principle of selecting speakers with relevant expertise for specialised discussions.
The NBA conference brings lawyers and stakeholders together to discuss national issues.
The NBA’s annual conference traditionally provides a platform for lawyers and other stakeholders to discuss legal, social and national issues. Therefore, the choice of speakers can attract significant public attention, especially when the discussions involve sensitive matters such as security and governance.
As the debate continues, the issue has highlighted the balance between professional expertise and broader public perspectives at major conferences.
For Falana, however, the central concern remains the need for the NBA to match speakers with the subjects they are invited to address and preserve the intellectual character of its professional gatherings.
